Led By the Spirit -- 2/3/13

Sunday, February 3, 2013

LED BY THE SPIRIT

Gal. 5:18-23

            Two weeks ago we read Gal. 5:18, "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."  We spent most of our time considering what is meant by the words "not under the law."  Christians are not under law.  Not only are we free from the penalty of the law, but we are also free form the limitations of the law.  The law can and does expose our sin, but it can't lift us above that sin.  When we were under the law, we were ruled by sin.  Now that we are not under the law but under grace, we reckon ourselves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God in Christ Jesus our Lord, and we refuse to let sin reign over us.  No, we don't always do that perfectly, but that is the pattern of our lives.  When it is not, we repent and come back to this foundational way of living, for it is the Christian life.  That is the truth we focused on two weeks ago.

            Now we come back again to Gal. 5:18.  Let's pause and read all of Gal. 5:13-26...

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunk-enness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

I.  What Does It Mean?

            "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."  The question that immediately presents itself is this:  "Are you led by the Spirit?"  There are a number of ways to answer this question.  Some have put it like this:  "Every Christian is led by the Spirit.  The question is whether he will follow the Spirit's leading."  This views the leading of the Spirit as simply guidance.  The Spirit tells us what to do, but will we choose to do it?  There is certainly truth is this line of thinking, but is it adequate to explain being led by the Spirit?  Is the Spirit's leading exhausted by the giving of godly counsel?  As you are thinking about that question, consider this.  The law itself gives us godly counsel; it always does so.  The law tells us not to steal, not to lie, not to covet, but it can't give us the power to cease stealing, lying, and coveting.  It tells us what to do and then leaves us to our own power to accomplish the doing of it.  That is what it means to be under the law, but we aren't under the law any more.

            Pause for a moment and look at Rom. 8:14, "For as many as are led by the Spirit, these are the sons of God."  God's children are led by the Spirit.  So surely it is true that believers are led by the Spirit, but again, what does that mean?  Does it simply mean that the Holy Spirit reveals to us the will of God, or does it mean more?  John Piper brings this question into focus and gives his answer in a few brief sentences...

If Paul had said, "If you follow the Spirit you are not under law," it would have been true, but in using the passive voice ("If you are led") he emphasizes the Spirit's work, not ours. The Spirit is not a leader like the pace car in the "Daytona 500." He is a leader like a locomotive on a train. We do not follow in our strength. We are led by His power.

            Think about that little illustration.   In a race, what does the pace car do?  It shows the way and gives instructions to the driver.  The pace car leads the pack during the warm-up laps, indicating how fast the drivers may go at that point.  When the yellow flag comes out, the pace car moves on to the track to keep the cars at the right pace.  The pace car sets the pace, letting the drivers know what is going on, how fast they may proceed, etc.  Compare that to a locomotive, or the engine, on a train.  It too leads the way, showing the rest of the cars where to go.  However, the tracks could do that.  The main function of the locomotive is to provide its power for the cars.  The locomotive leads, but it also pulls the cars along in its path.

            Every illustration has its limits, and this one is no exception.  If carried to its extreme, this might give the impression that the Christian has no other choice than to follow the Spirit's leading.  That is not the case.  The purpose of the illustration is to show that the Spirit does far more than point the way; the Spirit provides the power necessary to do the will of God and to short circuit the work of the flesh.

            Brothers and sisters, there is good news -- we are not left to what the law can do, because the law is weak through the flesh.  But praise God that we are led by the Spirit, who carries us along by His power.  We know the leading of the Spirit is far more than just guiding us to the right path, because the law itself is able to do that.  The Spirit both guides us to the right path and then empowers us to walk on that path. 

            We read the command, "Walk in the Spirit," and we might get the impression that it's all up to us.  Not so, because we are led by the Spirit.  Ours is to yield to the Spirit moment by moment.  By explaining that we are led by the Spirit, Paul is helping us to understand what it means to walk in the Spirit.

II.  The Works of the Flesh

            Last week I pointed out that in the New Testament the law is contrasted with grace (Rom. 6:14, as well as twice in Galatians -- 2:21, 5:4) , faith (Gal. 3:2,5,23-25), and the Spirit (here in Gal. 5:18).  This contrast is especially prominent in Galatians.  Even more specifically, we see the contrast between law and grace, works and faith, and flesh and Spirit.  Now notice here in Gal. 5:18-19 the close association between law, works, and flesh.  "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these..."  See the connection.  Though the law is good and the commandment holy, just, and good, when we are not led by the Spirit, the law can only yield the works of the flesh.  Why?  Because apart from the Spirit, our only resource to fulfill the law is the flesh.  We have nothing but the working of our own power. 

            So what are the works of the flesh?  They are listed here in verses 19-21.  We are not going to go through the items on this list one at a time, but I do want to read them again.  Earlier I read them from the New King James.  This time I want to read Gal. 5:19-21 from the Amplified: 

Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency, ²⁰ Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), ²¹ Envy, ["murder" -- omitted by a few texts], drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

            Consider the first five -- immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry, sorcery -- and the last three -- murder, drunkenness, carousing.  ("Murder" is not included in the Amplified, but it is in almost all of the texts).  Those are the things we would expect to be the work of the flesh.  But now consider the seven at the end of verse 20:  enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, divisions, party spirit.  Without trying to define each of them, you can quickly see that these are a bit different.  While drunkenness and immorality are outward and ugly, jealousy and envy are more acceptable and easier to hide.  Nevertheless, things like jealously and selfishness are listed right alongside indecency and murder.  While idolatry may bring to our minds people bowing down to physical images, we know that idolatry is much more subtle than that, fitting as well with strife and anger as with impurity and carousing.  I am simply trying to emphasize that while we have a tendency to associate works of the flesh with the outward and ugly, the secret and inward can be just as deadly.

            And that brings us to the summary and conclusion at the end of verse 21.  Notice the words "and such like."  In other words, this is not an exhaustive list.  There are other works of the flesh, but this will give you the idea.  Then come these stern words:  "Of the which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."  Paul makes it clear that this is not some hidden, secret teaching.  He has declared in the past, and now he tells them again right up front.  It seems he has to so preface his statement, because he realizes there will be opposition to it.  Those who practice the kind of things listed in these verses will not inherit the kingdom of God.  By the word, that rendering "practice" in the New King James is very accurate.  Both the choice of the word and present tense in which it is used make it clear that Paul is not saying that if a professing believer ever does one of these things, he will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But if these kinds of things are his practice, his lifestyle, he will indeed miss the kingdom.

            Let me linger here for just a moment, because I know how some of our minds work.  But what if he has accepted Jesus as his Savior?  What if he has professed Christ and been baptized?  What if he has walked with the Lord most of his life?  Whoever practices these kinds of things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  Suppose a person has professed Christ, reads the Bible regularly, goes to church meetings very consistently, but lives a life of selfishness, or is filled with jealousy, or will not forgive others.  He will not inherit the kingdom of God.  Remember that even many  who will have done great miracles in Jesus' name will hear the Lord say at the judgment:  "I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness" (Matt. 7:23).  The test of our relationship with the Lord is not our profession and religious activities, but the righteousness of our daily living.

            Please allow me to give you a concrete example of how all of this works.  Most of us who have been around a while are familiar with the expression "on cloud nine."  I don't know where it comes from, but it speaks of being on top of the world, being extremely pleased with something.  Well, after last Sunday I was on cloud nine.  What could be better than rejoicing with a new brother at his baptism, than hearing a dozen brothers and sisters get up and give him encouragement from the Word, than being reminded of what a loving God we serve!  Yes, I was on cloud nine, and I was still there on Monday.  But something happened in the midst of that cloud.  I was driving through town, and I suppose I was daydreaming a bit.  That is usually a dangerous thing for me.  Before I knew it, I was playing out this little fictitious scenario.  Without giving you all the details, let's just say that my thinking was along these lines:  "what is happening here in the La Luz church puts other churches to shame."

            I have no excuse or defense for such shameful thoughts.  They could be described by terms like jealousy, envy, selfishness, division, party spirit.  You can add a touch of idolatry in there too.  So is that an instance of the works of the flesh?  Absolutely.  Does that mean that I will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Remember what Paul said, "Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom.  Was I guilty of practicing those things, of habitually thinking like that?  You can't really tell from that one instance.  If that is the habit of my life, if my mind is continually controlled by such thoughts, then I will not inherit the kingdom. 

            So for me there was bad news and good news in that experience.  It was bad news because it was sin; it was displeasing to my Father, who sent His Son to deliver me from the power of sin, from those very thoughts.  However, there was also some good news in that experience.  First of all, the Spirit of God convicted me of my sin.  That in itself is good news because there was a time when I would have continued in that line of thinking indefinitely.  Praise God that He loves me enough to convict me and lead me to repentance quickly.  By the way, the Spirit not only showed me my thinking was sinful, but He gave me the power to turn from such thoughts to view my glorious Lord Jesus.  It was also good news in that I realized, "This is not who I am.  This is the old man.  I died to such sin and am alive to God in Christ Jesus my Lord.  I hate this kind of thinking.  This is the very thing from which I am praying the Lord will deliver me.  I despise the idea of churches competing against one another.  Why do I want to participate in such sickening thought patterns, when the Lord is working to transform me by the renewing of my mind?"  The Lord forgave me and cleansed me from all unrighteousness.

            Now why do I share that experience with you?  Certainly not because I am proud of it.  And not because I want to focus on me.  I tell you for two reasons.  First of all, because you need to know that being led by the Spirit is not just about avoiding the outward and ugly sins.  Many moral unbelievers avoid such sins on a daily basis.  The enemy can deceive us into thinking that if we are living moral lives, reading the Bible, and attending services, then we must be doing pretty well.  Many non-Christians can do those things.  The great battle is on the inside.  To use Jesus' analogy, the outside of the cup can be clean, even though the inside is filthy, but if God cleanses the inside of the cup, the outside will follow.  The Holy Spirit works from the inside out.  The second reason I share my experience is because you need to realize that this is a battle that every believer faces.  Those who have been Christians for many years, leaders of churches, are not exempt from the battle of verse 17.  I don't want you to ever get the impression that the man who preaches the Word to you Sunday after Sunday has arrived.  I stumble, but praise God that the Spirit is leading me and assures me that I have victory in Jesus. 

            Do you see how law, works, and flesh are linked so closely?  The law lends itself to the works of the flesh in that it can tell us the things listed in verses 19-21 are bad, but it can't give us the power to rise above them.  As a matter of fact, when the law declares that these things are sin and we must not do them, there is a sense in which it just makes it worse.  The harder one tries to do them, the more he fails. That was the very experience of Paul.  The law demands the works, but the flesh can't perform them. 

III.  The Fruit of the Spirit

            Praise God that verse 21isn't the end of the story.  Listen to Gal. 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."  The flesh produces immorality, indecency, jealousy, envy, selfishness, and things like that, but the Spirit produces these nine character qualities listed here in verses 22-23. 

            Let me just give you a few reminders about the fruit of the Spirit.  First of all, notice that it is "fruit," not "fruits."  These are not nine separate fruits, but rather the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit.  So what difference does it make?  What we must understand is that these are not separate fruits in the sense that one Christian will develop love, while another will demonstrate peace, while another will be filled with joy.  No, this is one fruit with nine characteristics which grows in the life of every believer.  In other words, it is God's design that the Spirit produce in you personally all nine of these characteristics.  As He fills you with love, joy, and peace, He will also grow in you longsuffering and self-control.  Isn't that good news!  Wow!             If you are in Christ, this is what you can be!  This is in contrast to the gifts of the Spirit, which we will be looking at later.  No one believer has all the gifts of the Spirit, but the Spirit produces all nine aspects of the fruit in each child of God.

            Notice also the contrast between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.  If Paul had spoken of the works of the Spirit, someone might get the impression that these are qualities that we must achieve.  By using the term "fruit," he steers us as far away from the works of the flesh as possible.  Humanistic thinking would say, "The difference between the list in verses 19-21 and that in verses 22-23 is simply a matter of what you decide to do.  Some people work to produce the earlier list.  Others work hard to produce the things in verses 22-23.  Which will you do?"  Paul wants to avoid that kind of thinking.  The truth is that the flesh can never produce anything but the kinds of things listed in verses 19-21.  The Spirit, on the other hand, will yield nothing except the kinds of things in verses 22-23.  By using the term "fruit," Paul is emphasizing that these are the qualities that naturally grow in a life led by the Spirit. 

            So what is our part?  Our part is to walk in the Spirit, to be led by the Spirit.  While we are certainly not passive in the process, the fruit comes from the Spirit.  We find the same principle in John 15.  "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:4-5).  Our part is not to try hard to produce fruit, but to abide in Christ and trust Him to bear the fruit.  In the same way here in Galatians 5, our part is not to worry about trying to love and be at peace and be gentle, but to walk in the Spirit and trust Him to produce the fruit.

Conclusion

            Perhaps you have the question:  "Is walking in the Spirit the same as being led by the Spirit?"  I would say, "Yes, they are essentially the same."  While walking in the Spirit emphasizes our part, being led by the Spirit reminds us that it is the Spirit's work.  While it is true that all believers are led by the Spirit, our goal is to yield to His leading more consistently in everyday life. 

            Perhaps that brings up another question:  "If walking in the Spirit and being led by the Spirit are basically the same, and if believers are indeed led by the Spirit, then why are we commanded to walk in the Spirit?  If that is what believers do, why does Paul need to tell us to do that?"  While walking in the Spirit, or being led by the Spirit, is the normal Christian lifestyle, that doesn't mean there is no need to tell us to do it.  It is knowing clearly that this is the will of the Lord that motivates us to walk in the Spirit.  The one who walks in the Spirit is eager to do what His Father wants him to do, just as was the case with Jesus.  And remember what Jesus said:  "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).  Some texts read, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."  Whichever way you take it, love for our Lord motivates us to do what He says.  We read up in Gal. 5:14 that all the law is fulfilled in the command, "Love your neighbor as yourself."  While love is the fruit of the Spirit, the Spirit works through the command to love.

            So we have come full circle.  The command in verse 16 is to walk in the Spirit.  It is this walking in the Spirit that allows us to fulfill the law, which is summarized in that one little command of verse 14, "Love your neighbor as yourself."  As the Spirit works in us, He produces His fruit.  And what is the very first and foremost characteristic of that fruit?  It is love.  When we talk about the work of the Spirit, we must never depart from love, because love is at the heart of everything the Spirit does. 

            Lord willing, next Sunday we are going to talk about the nature of the life God wants us to live.  We have spent a great deal of time examining the work of the Spirit, and that is good.  However, we need to be reminded of what kind of life it is the Spirit enables us to live.  Bluntly stated, we want to ask ourselves:  "What is the Christian life?"  Yes, it is a life led by the Spirit, but what will that life look like?  Though that may seem like a very elementary question, it is an extremely important question.  This week let's think about what it looks like when a believer is more and more consistently walking in the Spirit.

Life in the Spirit (A Life of Love) -- 2/10/13

Sunday, February 10, 2013

LIFE IN THE SPIRIT -- THE LIFE OF LOVE

            Two weeks ago we celebrated Dale's conversion with him.  We rejoiced in his baptism.  We praised God that he is no longer the same man he used to be.  As someone pointed out, we rejoiced with the angels in heaven over one sinner who repented (Luke 15:10).  Praise God!

            For months we have been looking at the Holy Spirit, who comes to dwell not only in Dale, but in every person who has repented and put his faith in Jesus Christ.  As we rejoiced with Dale, we also participated in a thorough remembrance of the gospel.  There is good news in Jesus Christ.  Jesus, who had always been in heaven with His Father, came to this earth as a man.  He came to live among people who were rebels against His Father.  He not only lived among such rebels, but He loved them.  Despite everything they did to Him, Jesus never retaliated, but committed His cause to His Father (I Pet. 2:23).  And finally, Jesus voluntarily gave up His life and died on that cross.  It was there that God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (II Cor. 5:21).  Yes, Jesus bore the wrath of His Father so that we might not have to experience eternal separation from God.  That is the good news.  Those of you who have not yet repented of your sins and trusted Jesus, who have not run away from sin and run to the Savior, we are praying that the truth of the gospel might weigh upon you.  We are praying that you might understand Peter's message applies to you, when He says, "God has made that same Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36).  God commands all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30).  You will have no real rest until you come to Jesus, who said, "Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavyladen, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28).

            But that isn't the end of the good news of Christ.  After He died, Jesus rose again.  He appeared on the earth for 40 days, and then He ascended to heaven.  From there at the right hand of the Father, He sends His Holy Spirit to everyone who repents and trusts in Him.  Jesus is true to His promise, for while He was on earth He said, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever" (John 14:16).  Yes, every true believer has the Holy Spirit living within.  "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you" (I Cor. 3:16).

            Most recently we have been exploring what it means to walk in the Spirit.  Last week we talked about being led by the Spirit.  Praise God that the Spirit doesn't just guide us into truth, though He certainly does that, but He also provides power to live a life that is pleasing to God.  Because God has graciously given us His Spirit, sin will not rule over us.

            That brings us to the question with which we are going to deal this morning.  What kind of life is it that pleases God?  If we walk in the Spirit, what will our lives be like?   We think we know the answer to that question, but I believe we are very fuzzy in this area.  I believe I tend to be fuzzy when it comes to understanding what the walk in the Spirit looks like.  So that is what I want us to deal with this morning.

I.  Little Poem with an Enduring Message

            Please allow me to ask a simple question:  _________, can you crawl?  You can?  Are you sure?  How long has it been since you crawled?  Would you mind coming up front and demonstrating to us that you can crawl?...   Okay, would all of you agree that ________ can crawl?  Now let me ask you another question:  Why has it been so long since you crawled?  Since you are able to crawl and you do it so well, why don't you do it every day?  I am quite sure you can crawl better than any 8-month old.  So why don't you crawl on a regular basis?  Oh, I see.  You prefer walking.  Why?  Oh, it's faster and it's easier.  So even though you are able to crawl, you deliberately walk instead.  I suspect that until I asked you the question this morning, you haven't thought about crawling in a long, long time.  Thank you.  Now I want all of us to take this knowledge about walking and crawling and keep it in mind.

            Now let's consider a man who has been converted.  Let's just give him the name "John."  (John, that won't offend you, will it?  We're not talking about anyone here whose first or middle name may be "John."  We are talking about a fictitious man that none of us know personally).  John has recently been converted.  We rejoice that God has rescued him and that He will spend eternity with the Lord.  However, we also know that when a person comes to Christ, he is a new creation.  Old things have passed away; all things have become new (II Cor. 5:17).  So let's take a look at the difference in John's life...

                                    Before Conversion                                         After Conversion

                                       Cussing

                                       Excessive drinking

                                       Some drug usage

                                       Watches questionable TV/movies

                                       Loses his temper often

                                       Doesn't read the Bible

                                       Doesn't go to church

                                       Cheats on his taxes

            That's what his life looks like before conversion.  So what will it look like after conversion?  Just go over to the other side of our little table and under "After Conversion" state the opposite of what we have under "Before Conversion."  Surely that should be a pretty accurate description of the change in a man after he has been converted.  What a difference!  This is the question I want to pose:  Is that the essence of the change when a person comes to Christ.

            As you are thinking on that, along with your newly acquired knowledge about walking and crawling, I want to introduce you to a little poem.  A few of you know it well, but I want all of us to know it.  Let me read you the first part of it.  Before I do, I should tell you that it isn't certain who originally wrote this poem.  It seems quite certain that it is at least 250 or 300 years old.  Some have attributed it to John Bunyan (1628-1688), better known as the author of Pilgrim's Progress.  Charles Spurgeon quotes it as the work of John Berridge (1716-1793).  Still others believe it was authored by Ralph Erksine (1685-1752).  Regardless of who wrote it, it begins like this...

                        "Run, John, run" the law commands,

                        But gives us neither feet nor hands.

            Do you see the point the author is making.  Yes, John may need to run, but it's foolish to command him to run, if he has no feet or hands.  The feet do the running, while the hands and arms give balance to the body as it speeds along.  That is a fitting picture of the law.  The law tells us what to do, but it doesn't give us any means of doing what it commands.  The law says, "Honor your father and mother."  A thorough study of the law will demonstrate something of what it means to honor father and mother.  But the person who wants to obey that command cannot find the power to carry it out.  When it comes to the ability to fulfill that command, the law is of no help whatsoever.  That is the point of those words in the poem.

            Now if I were going to finish the poem, I might write something like this...

                        "Run, John, run" the law commands,

                        But gives us neither feet nor hands.

                        But when the Spirit comes to lead,

                        Then we can run with blinding speed.

The law can command us to run, but it can't give us the power to do it.  But the Spirit gives us the ability to obey the command.  Isn't that wonderful news!  Brothers and sisters, there is good news... and then there is better news.  This morning may God enable us to rejoice in the better news.

            Whoever penned this little poem had far more insight than the words I substituted.  Listen to it...

                        "Run, John, run" the law commands,

                        But gives us neither feet nor hands.

                        Far better news the gospel brings;

                        It bids us fly and gives us wings.

            Think on that for a moment.  The gospel, the new covenant, life in the Spirit, goes beyond what we would imagine.  We would be stuck trying to figure out how to run without feet or hands.  But the gospel comes and calls us to a far more challenging idea, that of flying.  If I can't run, how can I possibly fly?  The gospel doesn't just talk about flying, but it gives us wings to fly. 

            Though there a few exceptions (ostrich, quail, killdeer), the normal bird doesn't do much running.  Instead, it flies.  Flying not only gets the bird there faster, but it is much easier than walking.  Because the bird has wings which were designed for that purpose, flying is no great chore for him.  He delights in it.  It is very natural for him.

II.  The Glory of the New Covenant

            Now let's come to God's Word.  Read Heb. 8:1-13...

Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. 4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; 5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- 9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." 13 In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

            This section of Hebrews (7:1-10:25) focuses on Jesus, as the guarantor of the new covenant, and how Jesus and the new covenant are far superior to Moses and the old covenant.  There are a couple of things we need to mention before we come to the main point here.  As I have mentioned before, there is nothing wrong with God's law.  In Rom. 7:12 we read, "Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good."  So when our author seems to imply here in Heb. 8:7 that there is a fault in the law, we must read the context.  Verse 8, "Because finding fault with them..."  The problem wasn't with the law, but with the people trying to keep the law.  This is very much parallel to what we find in Rom. 8:3, "For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh..."  The law was weak, but the weakness was actually in the powerlessness of those who were trying to obey it.

            The other thing we need to touch on is the people of the new covenant.  Let's read all of verse 8, "Because finding fault with them, He says:  'Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah...'"    This is a direct quote from Jer. 31.  Heb. 8:8-12 is a long quote from Jer. 31:31-34.  The pressing question is simply this:  Can we apply this promise to ourselves as New Testament believers, since the Lord said He would make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah?  The old covenant was certainly with Israel and Judah, which were the two nations made up of God's covenant people.  They had failed to live up to the conditions of the old covenant, but He promised to make a new covenant with them. 

Without getting into a deep theological discussion about the future of Israel, we have to conclude that the author of Hebrews does indeed apply this passage from Jeremiah to New Testament believers.  It is not necessary to be a Jew in order to claim the blessings of the new covenant.  Regardless of how this passage applies to the Jewish people, the promises given here are clearly applied to all those who are in Christ, for Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant.

            So what is the great significance of the new covenant?  Zac Poonen boils it down to its simplest terms when he asks the question:  "What is the essential difference between the old covenant and the new covenant?"  I'll give you a minute to think about that.  What is basic difference between the old covenant and the new covenant?  I must confess that when I first heard that question, I'm not sure that I had an adequate answer, but having heard it, I trust I will never forget it.  I don't want you to forget it either.  When you think of the old covenant, what comes to mind?  The Ten Commandments.  When God made a covenant with His people at Mount Sinai, it was centered around the Ten Commandments, which we first find in Exodus 20.  And what are the key words that occur again and again in each commandment?  "Thou shalt" and "Thou shalt not."  Thou shalt not have no other gods before me.  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.  Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain.  We all know that.  Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother.  Thou shalt not murder.  And so on.  God commanded them, "You do this.  You don't do that." 

            But what about the new covenant?  Let's read it again in Heb. 8:8-12...

Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- 9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.

            Did you catch it?  Five times in this brief passage the Lord says "I will."  No longer is it, "You shall" and "You shall not," but it is "I will."  This contrast is accidental.  When the Lord commanded those people at Mount Sinai to keep His commandments, they said they would, but they found that they couldn't.  The law told them to run, but it didn't given them feet and hands.  But in the new covenant, the Lord says I will. 

            And what is it that the Lord will do?  It beings with the promise that He will put His laws into our minds and write them upon our hearts.  He says He will be our God and we shall be His people.  He even says He will be merciful and remember our sins no more.  There is no conditions for us to meet; He simply says He will do it.  These are the promises for His new covenant people in this present world.

           

III.  The New Covenant and the Primacy of Love

            That's very nice, but it still doesn't really answer the question with which I started:  "What does it look like to walk in Spirit?"  At this point, we might just say that it means God will empower us to keep the law.  Again, this is what we read a few weeks ago in Rom. 8:3-4, "For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."  The big question here concerns what is meant by the righteous requirement of the law.  Is it simply the "Thou shalts" and "Thou shalt nots" of the Ten Commandments, or is it more?

            If we want to see the clearest picture of the fulfillment of the law, where do we look?  We look to Jesus, who fulfilled the law perfectly.  When you look at Jesus, what do you see?  Do you wonder if Jesus was guilty of cussing?  Did He take the Lord's name in vain?  Did you ever wonder if Jesus committed murder, or if He stole anything from someone else?  Have you found yourself asking if He was guilty of coveting another man's donkey, or another man's wife?  Those issues don't come up in the gospel accounts of His life.  I read through Mark this week, and I was reminded that Jesus' life was not about outward morality.  We don't read, "Jesus didn't steal; Jesus didn't take the Lord's name in vain."  I am not saying there is never any allusion to these things, for we do read that He was subject to His parents, but this is never the focus. 

            So what was the focus?  I suppose there are a number of ways we could answer that question, including the fact that He submitted to His Father.  We have put an emphasis on that, as did John, the writer of the fourth gospel account.  However, if we could boil the emphasis of the gospel writers down to one word, I believe it would be "love."  Jesus loved His Father and He loved the people to whom His Father sent Him.  Why was He willing to take the risk of being called a friend of sinners?  Because He loved the tax collectors and other outcasts.  Why did He go to the cross?  Out of love for His Father and love for us.

            Come back to that first promise of the new covenant in Heb. 8:10, "I will put my laws into their minds and write them in their hearts."  I have a tendency to think of this as the Lord literally writing His laws on my mind so that I will be able to quote from memory all commandments of the Bible.  No, I don't think that's the way the Lord fulfills His promise.  I rather think the explanation is in that verse we keep coming back to:  "All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Gal. 5:14).  Yes, He writes His laws on our minds and hearts, but He spells them L-O-V-E.  When love for neighbor flows out of love for God, we will not lie or steal or murder or covet or have other gods before Him. 

            Now come back to our little poem...

                        "Run, John, run" the law commands,

                        But gives us neither feet nor hands.

                        But when the Spirit comes to lead,

                        Then we can run with blinding speed.

            No, that isn't it.  With feet and hands John could run, and he might run very fast, but his speed cannot compare with those who have wings to fly. 

                        "Run, John, run" the law commands,

                        But gives us neither feet nor hands.

                        Far better news the gospel brings;

                        It bids us fly and gives us wings.

            Do you see it?  When God sent His Son to die, raised Him from the dead, and welcomed Him to the place of honor and glory, He then sent His Spirit, that He might give us wings to fly.  The greatest news of the gospel is not that we can avoid murder, adultery, and stealing, but that we can love the unlovable with His love.  That doesn't mean that we still commit murder, adultery, and steal from others; it means that we do far more.

            Allow me one more illustration.  Do you know what the land speed record is?  This is how fast a wheel vehicle can travel on land.  The current record is 763 mph.  That is a bit faster than any of the cars in our parking lot.  A British team is planning to obliterate that record by traveling at almost 1,000 mph.  But we understand that such speeds are not the normal for people like us.  My land speed record is less than 100 mph, and I kind of like it that way.  But even 1,000 is slow, if we do away with the word "land."  As long as we must stay on the ground, our speed is limited.  Even the fastest has only traveled 763 mph to date.  Now suppose we are not restricted to land travel.  Voyager I attained a speed of 38,500 mph.  We can see that land speed and space travel are in two different categories.

            In the same way, living under the law and the old covenant cannot compare with life in the Spirit.  The life of "Thou shalt" and "Thou shalt not" is not in the same league with the divine "I wills" of the new covenant.  The difference is like that between running and flying, between riding in a car and flying in a spaceship.  And the key to this difference is found in the concept of divine love.  If you are a believer, God has written the language of love in your mind and on your heart.  "...The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Rom. 5:6).  And because He has poured out His love upon us, now we can operate in His love.  "We love Him because He first loved us" (I John 4:19). 

            Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).  Or, if you prefer, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."  When we begin to look at the commandments of our Lord, we see that they are centered around love.  Jesus said, "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35).  A little bit later He said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13).  In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said...

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.   (Matt. 5:38-48)

Every command given here is in the context of love.  I turn the other cheek, because I am ruled by love instead of a spirit or retaliation.  You bless the one who curses you because you love him with a love that is beyond yourself.

            Or consider what we call the Great Commission:  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.  Amen" (Matt. 28:19-20).  The term "love" isn't used, but love is the foundation of this great command.  We make disciples of all nations because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.  We make disciples of others because the Lord Himself has given us love for people, even the unlovable.

            Brothers and sisters, now we are talking about flying.  Trying to avoid certain outward sins is like walking in comparison with the high-flying life of truly loving people around us.  We may be able to avoid some sins by our own power, but only the wings of divine love can empower us to lay down our lives for undeserving men and women in this world. 

Conclusion

            I don't know where to stop this morning.  There is no end to the love of God for us, and because that is true, how can we find an end for the love He pours through us to others?  No doubt, we will be coming back to this concept again and again.  I know this little poem is not on a level with the scriptures, but I trust the Lord will use it to remind us of great truth from His Word.

            Let me conclude with that precious little verse from I John 2:6, "He who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk just as He walked."  In other words, "If you say that you are abiding in Jesus, then you ought to live like Jesus lived."  Jesus lived a life of love.  It was the Father's love which sent Him here and it was the Father's love that flowed through Him every day He walked on this earth.  If we claim to be His followers, then that same love ought to flow through us.

            I have shared with you before the attitude of John Wesley concerning this verse.  We might be tempted to look at these words and groan, "How can anyone expect me to live like Jesus lived.  This is the heaviest of all burdens."  But John Wesley was excited by this little verse:  "Imagine that.  I can walk as Jesus walked.  Since God's Word calls me to live as Jesus lived, God's Spirit will empower me to do it."  Remember that God's commands are not burdensome (I John 5:3).

            We can sum up how Jesus walked in these simple words:  "He loved."  Because He submitted to His Father, He loved people.  That love was not expressed as being nice to others, tolerating His enemies, overlooking sin.  No, Jesus loved.  Regardless of how others treated them, He gave them what was best.  He laid down His life on behalf of God-defying rebels.  

            Surely I don't have to tell you that this message is all about the ministry of the Spirit.  Living as Jesus lived is an absolute impossibility without the continual working of the Spirit in our lives.  But with Him it is a possibility and can be a reality.  But this life will never be ours until we long for it.  Don't expect it to just happen.  Let's ask ourselves some simple questions:  Is this the life I see in Jesus?  Is this the life to which He has called me?  Am I settling for something less?  Have I swallowed the religious idea that God has forgiven me, but I am still just like everyone else in the world?  Am I satisfied to life a nice, moral respectable life?  Have I made it my goal to get along and not offend others?  Do I see that the sin of not loving goes deeper than drunkenness and stealing?  Do I honestly believe that the Spirit of God can empower me to live the life of love, that I can walk as Jesus walked?  Those are searching questions that demand honest answers.

            Remember how Jesus put it:  "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  He who believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive..." (John 7:37-39).  Praise God!  Life in the Spirit is a life of love!  It is the life of heaven on earth, a life that brings glory to God.  And this life is for every believer, every person who is in Christ.  You say, "That doesn't describe me."  But it can.  For those of you who already know the answer to those questions and are convicted by God's Spirit, let's don't wait.  Let's fall on our knees and humbly ask God by His Spirit to enable us to live this life.